Electric cable



W. J. PHILIPS.

ELECTRIC CABLE.

No. 252,249. Patented Jan. 10,188.2..

N. PETERSy Phalo-Lithognphar, Washingmn. D, C4

UNITED VSTATES PATENT G1-rica WILLIAIII J. PHILIPS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,249, dated January 10, 1882.

' Application tiled April 21, 1879. Patented in England, No. 1,475 of 1880.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. PHILIPS, ot' Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked th ereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to an improvementin that class of telegiaphic cables comprising two or more conducting-wires; and its object is to reduce retardation and interruption of the electric current by the inductive inliuence ofthe wires upon each other.

My invention is covered by British Letters Patent No. 1,475, A. D. 1880; and-it consists, mainly, in a telegraph-cable composed of two or lnore conducting-wires proper, and an independent wire arranged between or centrally with respect to the said conducting-wires and out of contact therewith, said independent wire being provided with means for connection with the ground at points intermediate of the length of the cable. The independent wire is not connected With the direct conductingwires ot' the cable at any point, nor with any other than ground terminals, and its ofce is to receive and conduct to the ground a portion of the currentsl induced by the cablewires, said induced currents flowing over the independent or ground wire as the shortest route to an equilibrium, or that having least resistance of any conductor within the inductive influence 'of the said cable-wires.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a diainetric section of a portion of a telegraphic cable constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 respectively illustrate modes ot' forming the joint between two sections ot cable.

Referring to Fig. 1, the letters A A indicate the ends of tubes inclosingthe several wires, b, forming the direct conductors ofa telegraphic cable, and a suitable insulating material surrounding and supporting said wires, which project beyond the ends ofthe tubes to permit of splieingin the ordinary manner, as shown atc. The letter D designates the independent wirewhich receives a portion of the induct-.

ive influence ofthe other wires and conducts screw-threaded to receive-the end of a groundwire, g, the opposite end of which terminates in a ground-plate, h. This ground-wire g `passes through a hole in a sleeve, I, which connects the two tubes A A, and when not applied is provided with an aperture, i.

The complete sections of cable may be manut'actured by any of the known methods of making this class of cables, the arrangement of the Wires being preferably as above described. Injoining the ends of two sections ot' cable, asl shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve I is first slipped upon one of the sections, and after the splicing and connecting of the wires is completed said sleeve is moved to embrace the endsvot1 bothsections, as shown, taking care that the lower hole in the sleeve I shall come in line with the screw-threaded collar f, projecting from the coupling-sleeve e. The ground-wire g is then inserted through the hole in the sleeve I, and its screw-threaded tip engaged with collarf. Care must be taken, ot' course,that the ground-wireg does not come in contact with any ot' the wires b. The connections having all been properly made, and the sleeve in proper position, it is thus firmly soldered, preferably with the ordinary plumbers7 wipe-joints, andthen is tilled through the aperture t' with molten insulating material similar to that used in the tube-sections. The aperture t' and the hole through which the ground-wire passes are closely sealed by soldering and the joint is complete. Fig. 3 shows the sleeve I secured in place and the groundwire in position for insertion.

Instead of using the screw-coupling for the independent Wire, this wire may be spliced in the saine manner as the other Wires. In this case the ground-wire must be connected with the independent wiie by winding or coiling the former around the latter, and the free end of the ground-wireis then passed into the sleeve I, (which should be drawn partly oft' the tube for that purpose, as shown in Fig. 5,) and out through the hole therein. The sleeve I maybe then moved to the position shown in dotted lines, the ground-wire drawn straight, as also shown by dots, the ground-plate attached, and the subsequent steps in forming the joint are the same as above described, as to the soldering and lling of the sleeve I with insulating material.

In the mode of joining the sections illustrated by Fig. 4, after the wires areall spliced and the ground-wire attached, a sleeve-like mold, which is composed of two semi-cylindrical parts and provided with apouring aperture and an aperture formed by recesses in its edges to surround the ground-wire, is placed around the ends of the tube-sections and an insulator-joint molded. The mold is then removed, the insulator and adjacent ends of tu bilig wrapped With sheetdead. as shown in section at s, Fig. 4, and another mold, one-half of which is shown at m, having an interior coneavity similar to the exterior shape of the i sleeve I, Fig. l, is placed around the joint.

This mold is then iilled with molten lead, and a solid joint is thus cast, connecting the two sections ot'tubiug. The mold should be then removed. The sheet-lead s, it will be understood, is simply to protect the insulatorjoint from being melted While the molten lead is being poured in thc mold. Instead of casting the lead joint, it may be Wiped7 on, according to the practice of plumbers.

I do not confine myself to cables having inclosing-tubes and fusible insulating material surrounding the Wires, as it is obvious thatl ground-connections may be applied to an in-,fl

dependent Wire in any cable having two or a5 with respect to the said conducting-wires and 55 out of contact therewith, said independent wire being provided with means for connection with ground at points intermediate ofthe length ofthe cable, as described.

g: The method substantially as described of forming a lead joint for pipe sections and intermediate mass of insulating material, the same consisting in wrapping the ends of the pipesections and intermediate insulating material in foil an d then casting molten lead around said foil, substantially as described.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of April, i879.

IVILLIAM J. PHILIPS.

Vitnesses:

AMBRosE T. SEcoR, GEO. U. BARBER. 

